This fs A Growing Country

Bv H. V. Simpson" Executive Vice President \flest Coast Lumbermeq's Association

One sure index of prosperity in the United States is a high volume of activity in the light construction industry. Historically. we have always had "good times" when the nation was building homes, schools, churches and commercial structu4es in great numbers. Bad times inevitably follow a slump in construction activity.

Douglas fir producers in 1952 have had one of their biggest volume years in history. Mills in this reglon will produce some 10,200,000,000 board feet, just slightly below the record highs of last year.

Next year ? There is no evidence that we have satisfied the persistent demand of a booming, growing, expanding nation for new homes. Every fact point5 to a need for vast numbers of new school rooms to accommodate the "war baby" crop. Expansion of our industrial facilities to keep pace with new products, new markets and an increasing standard of living is by no means ended. Commercial construction may be expected' to increase as the development of suburban centers continues.

The same factors which produced a record year for us in 1952 here in the Douglas fir region appear destined to carry on through 1953.

It looks to us like another 1,000,000 new homes in 1953. School construction must be stepped up to care for the millions of new school children. Commercial and industrial requirements are still behind the nation's needs. Public works projects already approved are immense.

The great farm market, always a vital consideration in the country's prosperity, will continue to offer important merchandising opportunities. Farmers are in good shape financially and will continue the modernization of their farmsteads and homes.

It has been evident to all of us that political considerations have strongly influenced economic circumstances since World War II. Controls were used to retard housing at the outbreak of the Korean War. The pattern has been clear since then. When housing lagged, credits were relaxed. Congress recognized the basic premise that an active, vigorous light construction industry is the key to national prosperity. In the last session Congress ordered the Federal Reserve Bank to withdraw credit restrictions oh housing when new starts fell below the rate of 1,200,000 annually.

' We can expect continuing controls in varying degree in our economy. Whenever the government thinks the economy needs support, the light construction industry will be given a shot in the arm, by one means or another. Because the lumber industry is a pa.rt of the light construction industry and so much of our well-being is tied in with that industry, it is obvious that we will be affected by any support that may be developed for it.

Despite the millions of new homes built in ttre United States since World War II, no estimates that we have seen indicate that the housing shortage is completely eliminated. A Natioml Association of Home Builders now forecasts the nation will be building 2,Un,(X)0 homes a yer;r by 1970. Since the war, estimators viewing the future have in every instance underestimated the housing demand. There is no reason to believe that they are more accurate now than they have been in recent years. Estimates that housing will drop below 1,0(X),(X)0 in 1953 are unduly pessimistic.

Ilere's a word for lumber retailers all over America who have asked about the available supply of lumber. Lumber is in plentiful supply, and always will be. There is enough timber in the Douglas fir region alone to rebuild every home in America. More important, we are growing billions of feet of new timber every year here in the west. We are doing something about the business of growing and managing our forrests for perpetual crops of trees.

Cur industry has energetically participated in developing the great Tree Farm program, which has spread from the west to the south and east. We invented the Keep America Green Program, which has reduced the number of man-caused forest fires, and this program, too, has spread througtrout ttrc nation.

Here in the West we have made tremendous strides in better utilization of our forests. We are able to use at least twentyfive percent more wood from each acre, hicause riye have markets for this type of wmd today.

Today, we re-log many thousands of acres. This means ttat small crews of loggers follow after big cnews, and salvage small logs, short pieces and margind logs which still have sound wood. These logs are used by sawmills, plywmd plants, hardboard plants and pulp mills. We also pre-log forcst land in some areas in advance of main logging taking out smdl logs which might be damaged when the big ones are felled.

We are spending millions of doll,ars in research to produce better lumber, and to develop more products from wood.

The West Coast Lumbermen's Association has just voted to continue its highly successful national advertisine Droerani. We will distribute more than 2,(X)0,(X)0 pieces of lumber pro' motion literature this year, most of it highly-effective full-color booklets developed to help sell lumber.

Retail lumbermen get headline billing in all our advertising and literature. We have worked up much new material and selling aids for retail lumbermen for 1953. This includes free newspaper advertising mats, new full-color selling literature, new motion pictures suitable either for television or private showings, and other merchandising helps.

Douglas fir, West Coast hemlock, Western red cedar and Sitka spruce--<ur four fine woods--<njoy an alldme high in acceptance by the American lumber buyer. We are proud of our lumber products, their uniform high quality and fine manufacture. Yes, we're still on the high road.

4nnouncing the most .orpl"te stock of quality TIMBERS in Northern california

Douglas Fir in sizes to 24" x 24" a'

Redwood in sizes to 12" x12" - lengths

Redwood inventories of two million feet

Remanufacturing facilities for resawing up

Planer capacity for surfiacing up to 24" x to 24' to 34" x34" 24" ll we can't find it we'll make it.

We enjoy doing busines with particular lumbermen.